So Small
by NOTagentsofnothing420
Summary: What happens when Sookie's younger sister, Stella finds Eric on the side of the road without his memories? Season Four Eric/ OC Rated M :D ( wow I suck at summaries ) rate&review :0)
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:**

Don't hate me for starting yet another story when I still haven't updated the ones I have posted currently. I like to switch it up! and i barely get anytime to type the final drafts in comparison to how much time I have to write on paper, so yeah.  
**  
Anyway, this is an Eric / OC pairing THAT IS RATED M FOR OBVIOUS REASONS.**

**I own nothing but my OC (except in my dreams)**

**I love reviews, even flames, so give me feedback if you'd like :)**

**Hope you like it!**

The title is my favorite Carrie Underwood song. I think it fits :D  
****

Thanks!****

* J *

* * *

_**Chapter One**_

I was driving my older sister's car back from my house, after dropping her off at her house on the way there so I could have some time to myself. Sookie dragged me to Fangtasia with her earlier, only to waste what I'm sure was a few hours trying to convince Pam to talk to Eric about giving Gran's house back and waiting around for him to show up, which he didn't, by the way!

I'll admit it, I was mad at her. I mean, really? She could have just called, it would've saved me my fucking day off! And after everything that happened, with the faeries and Grandaddy, Jason selling the house to Eric without knowing, and all the Russell Edgington bullshit before that, I would think she would be a little opposed to making such a long drive that late in the day, knowing we'd be driving back at night.

I would have stayed at my house, out on the edge of Bon Temps near Jason's, but after a year of the place collecting dust, it didn't feel like home anymore. So, I'd borrowed Sook's car to go get my clothes and stuff and bring it to her house, that Eric had completely restored to it's former glory and added his own personal touch to, also, throwing in a cubby for himself in the living room of my family's home.

_Asshole_.

I was a little less than ten miles from Sookie's, planning on showering to get the dust off me when I got there, as I rounded a bend in the winding road and saw someone walking on the side of the road. As I got closer, slowing down as I approached, I recognized Eric's tall, muscular blonde-ness, staring aimlessly ahead as I pulled up alongside him, my window rolled down as I called, "Eric?"

He was shirtless, and I tried to be polite and not stare at how his jeans hung low on his hips as he turned to me, looking extremely confused as he glanced and kept walking. Driving up a few more feet and putting the car in park, I shouted out the window to get his attention, "Eric!"

It worked, and he turned to me again, his intense blue eyes wide with what I could only distinguish as...fear, as he asked quietly, "Who are you?"

I tilted my head a little, a little flustered by all this as I said, "It's me, Stella."

He just blinked, confusion written all over his face as he mumbled, "Wh-who?" and I shot him a look to make sure he wasn't fucking with me, trying to trick me into drinking his blood somehow like he did to my sister back in Dallas, as I said matter of factly, "You_ know_ me." Eric's voice was quiet, and I could see his eyes darting from mine to the ground as he said, "N-no I don't."

_What the fuck?_ Is this really happening? Is it even possible for him not to remember me? _He practically drained me to walk in the sun!_ What the hell!

He turned to keep walking, but stopped, smelling the air as he turned back to me, staring intensely as he did it again, before he asked in awe, "Why do you smell so good?" "You know perfectly well why I smell..._the way I smell._" I said warily, watching him carefully as he said slowly, "Like vanilla… and honey... and sunlight." I jumped as his fangs clicked down a second later, looking up into the bright blue eyes staring curiously at me from his bare feet as I warned, "Eric, I am _**not**_ in the mood tonight."

"What _are_ you?" he asked, fangs still out, and by the way his eyes locked with my neck as he leaned into the window, I could tell he was going to bite me, so quickly, I threw the car into drive and floored it. Looking in my rearview as I pulled away, I could see him standing barefoot in the middle of the street staring at my tail lights, and I stopped about a hundred yards away, putting the car in park again and taking my seatbelt off to turn around in my seat for a better look behind me.

When I did, the road where Eric had been was empty, and I sighed as I sat straight in my seat again, trying to convince myself that somehow this was all in my head as I went to drive off, but before I could reach the gear shifter, Eric had his had in my neck through the window. I screamed, pulling myself out of his grasp as I scrambled out of the car through the opposite door, running off the road and down a path into the woods. Before I could get too far though, Eric sped in front of me, and I stopped with a huff of exasperation as I glared up at him, standing there with his fangs out like I was some kind of snack. I did the only thing I could think of at the moment, and punched him in the face as hard as I could as I shouted, "I AM NOT YOUR FUCKING DINNER!"

He held his bloody nose with one hand as he whined, "What'd you do that for?" and I crossed my arms defiantly across my chest as he continued, "You broke my nose!"

I put my hands on my hips as I shot back quickly, "_Oh please_, it'll heal in five minutes. You're a vampire." but I didn't expect him to shout as he replied, "I KNOW WHAT I AM!" making me flinch a little as he raised his voice. He must've noticed, because he was quick to correct himself as he added quietly, "I just don't know who I am…"

I sighed, trying to work with him as my brain tried to grasp all of this, and I took a step closer to him as I said, "Okay. What's the last thing you remember?" He seemed frustrated as he answered, "I don't know…" looking lost as he mumbled through a sigh, "I don't know… the sea, maybe...home." Looking up into his eyes, crystal blue staring down into my dark green, and as he started to mutter in some foreign language I didn't recognise from his conversations with Pam, something in my heart was telling me to believe him, that this wasn't just another cruel and unusual form of torture or revenge (or a plot to get into one of the coveted freak Stackhouse Sisters' pants) Eric Northman was infamous for, that he really had no fucking idea who he was.

"Eric, focus," I said I tried to regain his wandering gaze and draw him out of whatever chanting he was murmuring that I couldn't understand, "English."

"Her eyes," he quickly clarified, "Her cold, empty eyes. They were reaching into me...emptying me…"

"Okaaaaay…" I said as I attempted to wrap my head around all of it, and he seemed to be searching in his mind as he explained, or at least tried to, "And it was her, but it wasn't her. She was in a...in a circle. Chanting, and uh…"

He stared into space for a moment, before his eyes locked with mine with the seriousness I knew him for as he said, "Everything I was...was taken from me."

Something about the way he looked at me, or maybe the strange kindness he was showing me (and not my sister, for once) made me sure he wasn't fucking around, and I knew I couldn't just leave him out here alone if he didn't know who he was. I wasn't a monster, not yet at least, even if the whole town thinks otherwise.

"Okay," I said quietly, "I'll help you deal with this, but there are some ground rules that _**do not**_ get broken or you are on your own.'

He was silent as he started, listening as I stated my terms, "You do not _touch_ my sister, You do not_ bite_ her, and You _most certainly_ do not bite me."

He didn't say anything.

I huffed as I said in frustration, "Oh, forget it!" but he quickly answered, "It's fine." making me stop trudging back to the car and shoot him a look over my shoulder as I started to get angry, "_Eric_," but he was quick to cut me off. "I swear it."

Well, from a ruthless egocentric thousand-year old vampire, I figured that was the closest to 'I promise' as I was going to get. I held my hand out to him as I said, "Well, let's go then." and he warily took it, walking next to me as I led him back to the car.

"I am grateful for this." Eric said as we stepped through the loose dead leaves on the ground, and I hid my smirk as I kept my eyes on my feet and replied, "Whatever."


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Sorry for the wait guys! ( I like to refer to my laziness and my computer being dumb as SUSPENSE)

THANK YOU to musicluver, Davina, & guest for the reviews! & everyone who favorited/followed :)))) YOU GUYS ARE AWESOME AND I HOPE THIS CHAPTER LIVES UP TO YOUR EXPECTATIONS! :D

Hope you like this next chapter :)))))) let me know! keep them reviews coming! :D

Sookie is probably a little OOC, but hey, my bad if it turns out a little bitchy.  
Shit, if I was her, and my little sister brought home Eric, I'd probably be a bitch too.

:0)

I own nothing but my OC ( lets not sue me )

THANKS AGAIN!

* J *

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_Chapter 2_

I knew Sookie would freak out if she woke up to Eric downstairs, or even in the cubby tomorrow, so as we headed up the front porch steps of the house that'd been in my family for almost a hundred and fifty years, I turned to him and said quickly, "Wait right here for a minute. I'm gonna go let my sister know you're here...and find you some clothes." dragging my eyes from his amazing body as he nodded slightly, and I went inside. With the door closed, I ran up the staircase without tripping and into Sookie's bedroom.

Luckily, she was awake, brushing her hair on her bed in her old lady pajamas I'd always made fun of her for as I hurried in and rambled in a whisper, "Okay...So, don't hate me but,..." before completely blurting out, "IfoundEriconthesideoftheroadandhedoesntremeberwhoheis."

She only stared blankly at me, catching my breath as I continued quietly, "I'm pretty sure he doesn't know this is his house, Sook. He had no clue who I was."

Sookie only sighed as she said, "Go on, bring him inside. I'll call Pam, 'cause this ain't our problem, Stella." and I replied with a smile before I ran to the hall closet, where Jason kept some extra clothes, grabbing them before I rushed back down the stairs.

I tried not to dwell on my sister's attitude. Yeah, she might be mad about Eric using us as live faerie bait for Russell, but Eric bit _me_, not her. And even after being gone for a year, if anyone should hold a grudge against Eric Northman, it _should_ be _me_.

I opened the door, finding Eric on the porch where I'd left him, and I smiled up at him, towering over me like he always had with the blanket I'd given him in the car wrapped loosely around his shoulders, as I said, "Eric, would you please come in?"

I led him inside as Sookie came down the stairs, and at the sight of his muddy bare feet, she shouted at him before she could reach the landing, "Don't step on the rug!"

Of course, it was a second too late, and as Eric stepped off of it, he looked up at her warily as he mumbled, "Sorry." and started to shuffle along the edge on the hardwood floor. I giggled as I held my hand out to him, leading him into the living room where the cubby-armoire was as my sister just shook her head in disbelief and headed to the kitchen for the phone.

I handed him the clothes as she turned the corner, whispering as soon as she was out of earshot, "Don't worry about her," raising my voice a little as I added, "The bathroom is down that hall to your right. Come back out here when you're done and I'll clean you up some." He only stared down at me with wonder, like I was some kind of mythical creature or something, and I giggled at the half truth of that analogy as I said, "It's the least I could do for breaking your nose earlier." 

* * *

As I knelt down in front of Eric on the couch in the living room, I said, "Sorry about my sister. She's had a pretty rough day," putting the washcloth in the bowl of water his feet were soaking in. I looked up at him, staring in what seemed like awe at me, as I added, "And that the water got cold."

He smirked a little as he said, "Doesn't bother me." and with my own small smile, I went back to washing the mud off his feet, until he gasped, laughing as he smiled brightly, almost like a little kid, and said, "It tickles."

I smiled at this new Eric I was taking care of, before shaking my head a little and refocusing on his feet again. I wanted to get this over with. I fucking hate feet.

When I glanced up at him a moment later, he was staring intently at me and even leaning forward a little bit, but not like I was a piece of meat like usual, before he said in almost a whisper, "You are _really_ beautiful."

I was surprised, because usually the Eric I was used to only said things like that to my sister, but even more so at the blush I felt rising on my cheeks.

I quickly recovered and realized his feet were clean, and I pulled my hands out of the water as I said, "Uhm...Thanks."

I heard Sookie coming back down the stairs, but before she reached the bottom, the front door burst open and Pam was instantly in the living room in all her slutty glory, which made Eric shout, "WHO THE FUCK IS SHE?" as he jumped up at vamp speed, ready to protect me as he put himself between me and his progeny.

"FUCK!" Pam shouted, and Eric turned to me as he apologized, "Sorry, that was rude. I'm sorry." and Sookie walked in the room and stood beside Pam.

I moved to stand in front of Eric as Pam shouted her question at him, "What do you know about what happened to you?" and when he didn't say anything, she looked to me with desperation as she demanded, "You have to hide him."

Sookie answered before I could, arguing with Pam before I cut in, "Won't you be able to protect him better than us?"  
Pam turned back to me, losing the scowl she had for my sister as she said, "Stella, I'll be the first place they'll look!"

My sister was just as confused by that as I was, and she asked the question hanging in the air. "They who?"

"The witches who did this!"

Sook was even more pissed as she huffed, "Witches?! Oh, great! Now I have to deal with witches? NO! Not my problem!"  
Pam put a hand on her hip as she argued with my sister, "Actually, you're livin' in his house, so it is your problem." making Eric stop as he went to sit on the couch next to where I stood, looking up at me as he asked, "It's my house?"

I sighed a little as I nodded, tired of all the arguing as I quietly walked out of the room without the other two women noticing, and as I went around to the kitchen, I failed to ignore the rest of their argument like I planned.

My sister's voice was angry as I listened to her shout, "Yeah, because Eric tasted my sister." I could practically hear Eric's smile as he replied, "Oh, I did?" to which Sookie shot back, "Yeah, against her will. So technically, you fang-raped her."

He sounded genuinely sad as he mumbled, "Oh. I'm sorry." and I laughed from the kitchen as I raided the fridge and effectively ignored the rest of their conversation. 

* * *

A few minutes later, after Pam left I guessed, Sookie came into the kitchen and stood across the table where I sat with my good friend Jack Daniels.  
"I'm not babysitting him, Stell. This is your problem."

I sighed as I took another sip of my drink, thankful I found the unopened bottle in the liquor cabinet, and said, "I know, Sook, but I'm not askin' you to. If you want, you could go stay at my house until this is all over. I would take him there, but there's no cubby for him and I hate being there."

She smirked at the idea, "Maybe I will, Sis, but I'm going to bed. I have the morning shift tomorrow."

I smiled and mumbled goodnight as I downed the rest of my drink and moved to put my empty glass in the sink as she left the room. When I turned around, Eric was in the doorway to the foyer, and mumbled as I smiled at him, "Um... Stella?"

"Yeah?"

"The sun is gonna come up soon…" he said as he looked at the ground nervously, as if I was going to throw him outside, and I walked over to him, took his big hand in mine, and said, "Come on, I'll show you to your room." 

* * *

As I climbed down the steel ladder into the cubby, hidden by the fancy new wooden cabinet in the living room, I jumped as the lights came on automatically when I reached the bottom.  
"It's okay!" I called up to Eric, who was looking down at me in his cubby like he was terrified, but I smiled and waved, encouraging him to come down the stairs.

He smiled as he reached the bottom of the ladder and looked around as he said, "Wow, this really is my house."

I laughed a little as I said, "Yeah, but not for long if Sookie has anything to do about it."  
Eric kept his smile as he asked, "And you live here? In my house?"

"Yes."

"Are you mine?" He asked quickly, his blue eyes staring into mine.

"No!" I laughed, but he continued with his rapid fire questions.

"Do you belong to another vampire?"

"No."

That made him pause for a second.

"Would you like to be mine?"

I laughed again as I answered, my voice thick with sarcasm, "Um, not really, but thanks for asking."

I moved towards the ladder, but stopped as Eric vamped in front of me, blocking the way with his tall blonde-ness.  
"Eric," I said nervously as he stared down at me, the distance between us closing, "Let me go."

"I just wanted to thank you for, uh, for everything. That's all." He murmured, his eyes darting from my eyes, to my lips, and then to my hair as I replied frantically, "You're welcome. Please let me go now."

Getting even closer to me in the small confines of the cubby, he whispered in awe, "What are you?"

"I am really fucking tired of being asked that question, is what I am. So, _please_ let me go." I answered, getting frustrated, and he must've noticed.

"Of course." He said as he stepped aside, and I quickly started up the steel ladder before anything, good or bad, could happen.

"Goodnight Eric." I called down to him as I stepped out of the wooden armoire in the living room, not waiting for an answer before I closed the doors behind me and headed up the stairs for some much needed sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Since the delay was so long, (sorry again!) I'm giving you two chapters!

thank you again to everyone who reviewed, followed and favorited!  
SERIOUSLY YOU'RE GREAT AND MAKE MY LIFE (which may sound lame, as my boyfriend likes to tell me, but ITS TRUE) :D

by now I shouldn't have to warn everyone that there will be cursing in my story. Sorry if you don't like it, but that's how I talk on a normal basis. I get it from my dad & I can't really shut it off. :) so there will be NO WARNING. Sorry again!

ALSO, i already have the next two chapters typed in their final copy, so i'll post them both at the same time when I get a few more reviews :) I know, I shouldn't do that, but seriously you guys, with this many follows and shit, you should be leaving reviews. It's just the nice thing to do :0)

I own nothing ( no lawsuit please )

I know it's short, but I hope you like it!

* J *

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_Chapter 3_

Sookie wasn't at the house when I came home from work just after sundown, having the lunch shift at Merlotte's, and as I walked into the kitchen to put away the case of TruBlood I snatched from behind the bar before I left, I called through the dark house, "Eric? Are you up?"

After I put the blood in the fridge, I made my way through the dining room, shouting his name as I wandered into the living room, still with no response, and I started to get nervous.

What if he left? Where would he go? What if someone who knew him found him?

"Eric?" I shouted with my wavering voice, before I turned and saw that the doors of the cabinet that housed his light tight cubby were wide open, and I felt my stomach drop as I thought out loud, "Oh boy." 

* * *

It had been a few hours since I found Eric's cubby empty, and I was trying to pass the time until he came back by reading _A Song of Ice and Fire_ at the table in the kitchen, but my worry was getting the better of me, glancing out the window every five seconds.

I let out a frustrated sigh as I closed the book. I'd read the same paragraph like ten times, so there was really no point.

I jumped as I heard a strange whooshing sound outside, along with a familiar bright flash of light on the other side of the kitchen window, and quickly, I walked to the front door.

After I shut it behind me, I turned around on the front porch to see Claudine, Sookie and I's faerie godmother, standing alone at the bottom of the steps.  
I slowly walked to the edge of the steps and stopped when she said, "I've come for you."

"I'm not goin' back there and neither is my sister, you crazy bitch." I seethed defiantly, and she rushed to try and explain.

"Stella, I understand it must have been frightening, what you saw in Faerie, but please-"  
I cut her off as I shouted angrily, "Frightening?! YOU'RE FUCKING STEALING PEOPLE."

Claudine shook her head as she said, "We are your true family. You both belong with us."

I wasn't about to get kidnapped again, so I quickly shot back, "No thanks." and went back to the front door, but what she said next made me stop dead in my tracks.

"Stella, we can keep you safe!"

I turned back to her with a deadly glare as I said coldly, "You wouldn't know safe if it kicked you in the teeth, lady. Stay away from me and Sookie."

Before she could protest anymore, a vampire sped off with her into the trees, and reluctantly, I ran in that direction at full speed. I couldn't just stand there and do nothing, even if I did hate that faerie bitch.

I could see Eric draining her as I got closer, the light flickering in her hand, and I shouted, "ERIC! STOP!"  
He didn't pay any attention to me, though, as he literally sucked the life out of her, and as my running came to a stop a few feet away, I could see Claudine change into what a real faerie looks like, before Eric pulled away and she disappeared in a burst of orange sparkling dust, just like Grandaddy.

I glared at Eric, kneeling in the dirt with blood all over his mouth, and as he noticed I was standing there, I yelled, "You just killed my faerie godmother!"

He smiled, a goofy bloody smile, as he said innocently, "Sorry."

I didn't realize how heavy I was breathing as I said, "We're sitting' ducks out here if any of Claudine's friends show up," pausing as I stared down at Eric, still on the ground a few feet away, before I added, "Hurry! In the house!"

He groaned a little, before falling flat on his face in the dirt. My heart raced in fear as I rushed over to him, praying silently to anyone who was listening that he wasn't dying or something as I shouted, "We're headin' for the for the cubby, you hear me?"

No response. Fuckfuckfuckfuckfuck.

I leaned over nervously from where I stood about a foot away and poked him in the shoulder.

Hearing a groan, I let out the breath I didn't know I was holding, and took a step back as he slowly started to get up. He wobbled a little as he stood, looking at me as he smiled a bright and bloody smile, and he giggled a little as he said so unsmoothly, "_Heeeeeey_."

I raised an eyebrow at him as he stumbled closer and muttered, "More." and I backed up as I said, "Quit!"  
But that only made him get closer, leaning in close to my face as he growled, "I want more."

"You can't have any more, Eric. You drank the whole faerie, and you're goin' to your room." I attempted to reason, but he ignored me as he pushed my long straightened blonde hair back over my shoulder and murmured, "Drink _you_ up."

He leaned in with his fangs still out, obviously trying to bite my neck, and my mind screamed at me to run, but I was frozen in place.

My voice broke in fear as I yelled, "ERIC, YOU'LL KILL ME! NO!" and almost instantly, he pulled away.

I was physically shaking as his eyes met mine, full of confusion and something I couldn't put my finger on, as he said, "I would never harm you." and retracted his fangs.  
I nervously pulled my hair back over my shoulder to cover my exposed neck as I relaxed and said, "You better not," before turning back to the house and adding, "Come on, I'll tuck you in."

I started to walk toward the house, and I could hear Eric chuckle behind me before he vamped over and pinched my butt through my black shorts.

"Hey!" I squealed, and he laughed as he circled me. "Did you just pinch my butt?! Really?!"

He was smiling like a kid at a candy store, and laughed as he said, "_Beautiful_ butt."

"Well, Thanks. But, hands off!" I tried not to whine, and started walking again, only to have him grab my ass with both hands a moment later. I turned around to scold him, but I stopped , watching him laugh with excitement, and I gasped in disbelief as I came to the conclusion, "You're drunk!"

Eric stood in front of me as his chuckling died down a little, and he leaned down to rest his forehead against mine as he said, "Catch me." before speeding off in a blur.

I could hear his laughter echoing through the woods as I yelled, "GET BACK HERE!" and a second later, he was back in front of me.

"I'm trying to _help_ you. You can't do this, so get back in the house right now!" I demanded over his chuckling, and he disappeared again, speeding all around the yard before he was instantly behind me, and I squeaked as he breathed into my ear, "_Never._"

I turned around to face him, getting even more frustrated as I argued, "It'll be dawn soon!" but he just kept smiling wildly as he said, "I don't care." and in a flash, he was gone, disappearing into the thick woods again.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: A HUGE THANK YOU TO Davina, Mad Wolf, & the 3 Guests FOR YOUR REVIEW!

I hope you like where I'm going with this :)))))) The kiss is on it's way! :D

To all those who think it's cool to fav/follow and not review, IT'S NO WHERE AS COOL AS A REVIEW! :D :D :D :D :D  
Personally, I review every story I read. That's just me. I'm a nice person, and I understand how awesome it is to get feedback on your work.

:0)

And here it is!

Thanks

* J *

* * *

_Chapter 4_

I ran around all night trying to find Eric in the Bon Temps woods surrounding the house, and Sook had gone straight to bed while I was out looking, so I let her go to work this morning thinking everything was just peachy.

After she left, I called Alcide, because my sister had mentioned something about him and Crazy Debbie moving to Shreveport on her way out the door. I figured he would be my best bet at tracking Eric down before he burst into flames.

I was getting a blanket from the house, when I finally heard a truck pull up, and as I hurried back outside to greet him on the porch, I called, "Thank you for comin', I just checked the woods out back again a few minutes ago. There's no sign of him."

Alcide was unbuttoning his flannel as he asked, "How can Eric be runnin' around in the daylight?" and I turned around as took his shirt off and started working on his belt and answered, "It's a long, strange story. I'll explain it later."

When I turned back to face him, he had shifted into his white werewolf self, leaving his clothes in a pile on the ground. "You got his scent?" I asked, getting a soft growl in response before he took off into the woods, and I ran to keep up with him.

* * *

Alcide stopped at the river's edge, after running for what felt like forever, growling at the water and ending my explanation of the whole fucked situation, I glanced at the still water and said, "Alcide, I know you don't like him, but if he dies, Pam will _totally_ kill me. And probably Sook, too. I mean, it's _Pam_."

My wolf friend only barked at the water, and a second later, a naked Eric shot up out of the water and smiled as he called over to me on the riverbank, "Hey Stella! Where have you been?"

I stared at his gorgeous body as he stood in the hazy Louisiana water, covering everything below his incredible abs, as he shouted with excitement, "Come play with me! It's wonderful here!" He moved his arms around in the water as he continued to have the time of his life, "I am Aegir, god of the sea, and you are Ran, my sea goddess."

"There's big gators in there, you big crazy viking!" I shouted back, trying not to laugh, "Get your drunk ass outta there and let's go home, before one of 'em chomps off your you-know-what!"

Eric laughed, swimming around as he called back, "And leave the sun to the water? Nope! I'll just kill all the sea monsters!"He stalked around in the water, looking for battle as he yelled, "Gators! _Krokodiler! _Show yourselves! Cowards!" and I stared at him in awe as he splashed around.

Alcide shifted back, staring at Eric too as he said, "Damn, he really _is_ different."

Eric roared, literally fucking roared, at Alcide, standing naked next to me, and yelled with rage, "GET AWAY FROM HER!" and Alcide only shouted back, "FUCK YOU! SHE WANTS ME HERE!"

I tried to stay level headed as I reasoned with the blonde vampire in the sun.

"Eric, this is Alcide. He's our friend, he's gonna help you. You don't want to fight him."

"Yes I do," Eric insisted, standing tall in the water with his fangs out at he stared down Alcide and completely ignored me, "Now prepare to die, you stinking dog!"

"Take a shot, you dumbshit fanger!" Alcide shot back at him, and as they started growling at each other, I lost it.

"Oh, GROW UP YOU GIANT BABIES!" I ranted, "Alcide, stop makin' that fucking noise. Eric, put up those fangs and listen to what I say dammit!"

Suddenly, Eric's face fell, and as he looked down at his reddening skin in confusion, he stammered, "Uh...I don't feel so good."

"_Now_ will you listen to me?" I asked bitterly as I stepped into the water in my favorite sneakers, and sighed as I waded in up to my waist to get him.

"Stella, I hurt." He whined as I unfolded the huge red blanket and wrapped it around him.

"I know baby, come on." I whispered to him as he leaned into me, trying to hurry and sooth him at the same time as I said, "You gotta get back to the house. Vamp speed, okay?"

His skin was bright red, and I couldn't hide my worry as he began to sizzle slightly.

My heart was racing as I led him out of the water, and Eric turned back to look at the water in the bright afternoon sunlight as he whined sadly, "I don't want to go back to the darkness. I want...I want us…"

I could tell he was scared as we reached the bank, were Alcide stood and watched me fret over the thousand year old vampire that nearly killed me once, and I put a hand on Eric's neck as I said sweetly, "Go, run, we'll be right behind you."

In a flash, Eric sped off back to the house and Alcide shifted, running faster that I ever could as I followed him through the woods, trying to stay on his white fluffy tail.

* * *

"I don't want to go to sleep." Eric said defiantly as I sat him down on the end of his bed in the cubby, still too worried to deal with his drunk ass, but I reasoned with him anyway.

I have a lot of experience with drunks, from a few of my friends in highschool, and the bar of course.

"You have to rest, Eric. You got all burnt up today," I said with my hands on his blanketed shoulders, and as the sizzling sound his skin made a little while ago rang in my ears, I added, "Let me check."

I didn't notice how close we were as I peeked under the thick red fabric wrapped around his shoulders, until I caught him smelling my hair from a few inches away, and I openly sighed in relief as I pulled back and brushed a lock of my, now slightly curly, blonde hair behind my ear and said, "Everything healed."

His eyes met mine as I put my hands back on his shoulders and said, "Now, lay down and close your eyes." but he was determined to stay sitting up as he fought me on this. "No."

I let my arms flop at my sides as I huffed, "If you stay awake, you're gonna start bleedin' all over the place."

Eric looked up at me from the concrete floor as he said quietly, "I know what the bleeds are…"

I laughed a little as I said, "Fine, then you can clean it up. I'm no maid, and I sure as hell ain't your mama."

I started to go back to the ladder, but I stopped as Eric's hand gently caught mine, surprised that I wasn't instantly shaking like a leaf. "Stay with me."

I turned back to see him staring up at me from his seat on the edge of his bed, holding my seemingly tiny hand in his big one as he added just above a whisper, "Please."

Fuck, I wished I could. I wanted to so bad. I felt horrible for having to leave him down here alone during the day. But he's a vampire, he has to get used to this without me. And I hadn't gone to sleep yet. And Alcide was still upstairs, probably listening into my whole conversation in the cubby.

I sighed with regret as I said, "I can't, I'm sorry. Human stuff to do."

He looked back to the ground sadly, and it felt like my heart was being torn out of my chest as he slowly dropped my hand from his and mumbled, "Oh…"

I gave him a sad smile as I started up the steel ladder, and as I reached the top, where Alcide tried to seem like he wasn't hovering, I closed the wooden doors behind me and made sure I locked it this time.

I was ripped from my worry as Alcide said, "Stella, this is nuts!"  
I pointed to the cabinet as I shushed him, and walked past him to the front door with a glance over my shoulder, making sure he was following me outside.

On the porch, I closed the door behind him and leaned up against the wall of the house as my friend tried to reason with me.

"He can't stay here, Stell. What are you thinkin'?

"You saw for yourself. He ain't the same! And it's not for long anyway."

"He's still a killer!" Alcide shot back as he ran his hand through his hair, "Eric Northman livin' in your house...You must have a deathwish."

That was a little much. I didn't know why it offended me so much, but it did.  
And that's when the bitch came out, which almost never happens.  
Why the hell was I being so damn protective of Eric fucking Northman?!

"Yeah? Well, Debbie Pelt is still Debbie fucking Pelt!" I snarled back, and he raised an eyebrow at me as I pushed myself off the wall and stood up to him with my arms crossed across my chest. "Oh yeah, Sook told me about seein' her."

"So?" he scoffed, and I got even more annoyed. "She's an addict and an attempted murderer, and she lives in your house! You don't see me judging you because of her!"

He huffed a little, scowling (a little) down at me as he said, "So that's how you feel about her…" and I lowered my voice again as I replied, "I don't want my sister, or you, to get hurt again."

"That's what I'm sayin' about Eric!" he said quickly, but I instantly put out his fire as I shot right back, "Alright, then we're even!"

Alcide sighed in defeat, losing his scowl and smiling as he held out his arms and said, "Come here." I couldn't stay mad for long, especially if he was hugging me, so I put my arms around him and leaned my head against his, now clothed, chest as he did the same.

Being short, I love hugging tall people.

I could tell Alcide was being honest as he said, "I'm on your side, Stella. Whatever happens."

I nodded a little against him and smiled, more to myself, as I said, "Same for me, and for Sook."

I looked up at him, still hugging him, as I said through a giggle, "Friends?" and he chuckled as he let me go and replied in a sigh, "Friends."

Alcide started for the porch steps, and turned back to me when he was halfway down. "Keep in touch." I smiled and opened the front door. "You know I will!" I called with a wave goodbye before I went back inside, and leaned up against the door once it was closed behind me with a sigh.

I tried my hardest not to look at the cabinet in the living room, and instead, decided on going to the kitchen to find my bottle and a glass before I headed for bed.

If I wanted to get any sleep this late in the afternoon, I would have to be drunk as hell not to lie awake in my bed upstairs and think about my houseguest in the cubby below.


End file.
